Tim Lincecum: What kind of reliever will he be for Giants?

Tim Lincecum’s fall from grace hasn’t been pretty to watch.

From his long hair and unconventional delivery to his once-status as a dominant starter in the MLB, Lincecum is a well-known pitcher who has seen his premier status decline over the last three years.

Where It All Started

The San Francisco Giants’ starting pitcher came into the MLB in 2007–just one year after he won the Golden Spikes Award while pitching for Washington–and took the MLB by storm in just his second year when he won the Cy Young in 2008.

Lincecum was one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball from 2008-2011. During that span, winning back-to-back NL Cy Young awards in ’08 and ’09, garnering three consecutive NL strikeout championships from 2008-2011, and making the All-Star game all four years. To go with those gaudy stats, the righty boasted a 2.81 ERA  and averaged better than 244 strikeouts per season during those four seasons.

Since that time, though, The Freak’s play has been less than desirable.

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Generated 9/12/2014.

Since 2012, Lincecum owns a combined ERA of 4.73 and has seen his strikeout rate slide down more than two K’s per nine innings. Whether you attribute his struggles to his overuse–Lincecum averaged 220 innings per season from ’08-’11–or the loss of command and velocity, it’s safe to say that the Lincecum of old is gone.

Given his struggles this season (10-9 with a 4.67 ERA, including a 7.90 ERA post All-Star break), the Giants have officially moved Lincecum to the bullpen, according to Sports Illustrated.

Can He Succeed?

Now, the question becomes will Lincecum succeed in the bullpen?

It’s a loaded question, but there is some evidence to support that Lincecum can succeed in the ‘pen.

Remember San Francisco’s 2012 playoff run with Lincecum serving as a reliever? He was more than solid out of the bullpen and helped the Giants win the World Series.

In five relief appearances during the 2012 postseason, Lincecum pitched 13 innings and surrendered just one run on three hits and struck out 17 batters, amounting to a 0.69 ERA.

By moving him to the bullpen, San Francisco is trying to maximize his talent by limiting the amount of trouble situations that he can get into. Currently owning a Wild Card spot in the playoffs, San Fran’s strategy is to utilize Lincecum in key situations during the postseason, and given his success of 2012 and some bright spots earlier this season, the odds are in the Giants’ favor.